Page 10 of Healed

Her words trailed off, and my stomach twisted.

“Do you know what happened to her?” I asked quietly.

“I know enough, but she never went into detail.”

That wasn’t what I was asking. I didn’t want to know the details of the past either. It wouldn’t change what had happened today—or was it yesterday by now?

“I didn’t mean that. I meant with Gabriella. I—”

“Why are you asking me? Surely you should know?”

“Why on earth would I know?”

“Dear God,” Michelle gasped, as though something had suddenly dawned on her. Me? I was just confused and struggling to keep up with the direction this conversation was taking.

“For the love of God, Luke, please tell me you saw her tonight.”

“Saw who? What are you talking about?”

“She was coming to you!” she practically screamed at me. Her hands shot forward, clutching at my cut. “She said she was going to find you. That she was going to get help. Where is she, Luke? Where is my daughter?”

My throat closed.

I tried to swallow, but my mouth was too dry, and there was too much blood, too much pain, too much of everything pressing against my chest.

A flash of Gabriella’s pale face swam behind my eyes.

Her cold, dead face.

I turned my face away because I couldn’t look at her when I said it, couldn’t look at Gabriella’s mother and tell her I had failed, that I had seen her daughter laid out beneath a sheet and lost my fucking mind before asking enough questions.

“She didn’t come to me, Michelle. She didn’t ask for my help. I did see her tonight, but—”

Michelle made a small sound. “No,” she wailed.

“I’m so sorry. By the time I found her, it was already too late.”

“No,” she said again, but her voice was no longer shaking. “He wouldn’t have killed her. He loves her in his own way.”

“He doesn’t fucking love her,” I growled, and then caught myself. I shook my head, forcing down my rage, and then said, “He didn’t. She… it looked like she killed herself, Michelle.”

Why didn’t that feel right?

What was niggling in my mind, just out of reach?

“She wouldn’t do that! She was leaving to get help! She was going to get us both out of here. She… Natalie!”

“What?” I frowned, once again completely lost at the change in direction.

“Where is Natalie?”

“You’re really putting me on the spot here—”

“Where is she?!” she screamed.

“Nico shot her,” I said, narrowly dodging another of her slaps. “Michelle, listen to me. What we’re up against is…”

And then a flash of a memory.